The No. 22 LSU Tigers split games between Southeastern Conference West foes – Alabama on Sunday and Auburn on Friday. They moved to 3-1-2 in the conference and second place in the Western Division after the 2-1 win Sunday. LSU never trailed against the Crimson Tide as sophomore Rachel Yepez scored the first goal of the match – her tenth of the season – off an assist from fellow sophomore Malorie Rutledge at the 4:09 mark in the first half. Alabama tied the score at the 11:55 mark with a goal from junior Danielle Bernier. Freshman Victoria Frederick kicked a corner kick to senior Jordan O’Banion who assisted Bernier. The score didn’t stay tied for long as LSU moved ahead again when Rutledge scored a goal of her own off a penalty kick at 13:45. Senior Caroline Vanderpool said the early goals are beneficial to the team. “They definitely help,” Vanderpool said. “Especially late in the second half when you’re starting to get more tired, it’s good to know you have a lead.” After the three early goals, neither team was able to score again, and LSU held out for the win. LSU coach Brian Lee said he was happy with the team’s ability to hold out for the win. “It was a good win,” Lee said. “It was a battle of attrition, and we were able to come out on top.” Vanderpool echoed Lee’s statements. “It felt really good to get a win against a physical team,” she said. “We feel like we’re in a good spot right now.” This marks the second straight win for the Tigers against the Tide as they defeated Alabama this past season 4-2. Alabama, however, still holds a 9-3-1 overall lead in the series. LSU continues to lead the conference in goals scored with 35, while Alabama remains in second with 33. The win on Sunday came after LSU suffered its first SEC loss. On Friday night in Auburn, LSU was shut out, 2-0, by the Tigers. Auburn scored early in the match and were able to fend off the high-powered offensive attack of LSU. Sophomore Stephanie Fransoso scored in the seventh minute off an assist from sophomore Rebecca Howell. Auburn scored its second goal of the match when Howell fired a shot from the top of the penalty area past senior Valerie Vogler in the 73rd minute. Sophomore Caitlin King assisted on the goal. Lee said in a news release that despite the loss, he felt the team performed well. “This was the first road test for our young team in the SEC, and I thought we played well tonight,” Lee said. “You have to give full credit to Auburn for playing really well and really hard for the full 90 minutes tonight.” This loss marks the fifth straight match in which Auburn has defeated LSU. Lee said he was happy with the team’s performance thus far in conference play after the match Sunday. “We’ve competed against some of the top teams, and we feel very good about it,” Lee said. “We feel like we’re in striking distance to win the SEC.”
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